John 16-18

Contemporary English Version

16 I am telling you these things, so that you will not turn away. ² You will be chased out of the synagogues. And the time will come when people will kill you and think they are doing God a favor. ³ They will do these things because they don't know either the Father or me. ⁴ I am saying this to you now, so that when the time comes, you will remember what I have said.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

I was with you at the first, and so I didn't tell you these things. ⁵ But now I am going back to the Father who sent me, and none of you asks me where I am going. ⁶ You are very sad from hearing all of this. ⁷ But I tell you I am going to do what is best for you. This is why I am going away. The Holy Spirit cannot come to help^[a] you until I leave. But after I am gone, I will send the Spirit to you.

⁸ The Spirit will come and show the people of this world the truth about sin and God's justice and the judgment. ⁹ The Spirit will show them that they are wrong about sin, because they didn't have faith in me. ¹⁰ They are wrong about God's justice, because I am going to the Father, and you won't see me again. ¹¹ And they are wrong about the judgment, because God has already judged the ruler of this world.

¹² I have much more to say to you, but right now it would be more than you could understand. ^13 (A) The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn't speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen. ¹⁴ The Spirit will bring glory to me by taking my message and telling it to you. ¹⁵ Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I have said that the Spirit takes my message and tells it to you.

Sorrow Will Turn into Joy

¹⁶ Jesus told his disciples, “For a little while you won't see me, but after a while you will see me.”

¹⁷ They said to each other, “What does Jesus mean by saying that for a little while we won't see him, but after a while we will see him? What does he mean by saying he is going to the Father? ¹⁸ What is this ‘little while’ that he is talking about? We don't know what he means.”

¹⁹ Jesus knew they had some questions, so he said:

You are wondering what I meant when I said that for a little while you won't see me, but after a while you will see me. ²⁰ I tell you for certain that you will cry and be sad, but the world will be happy. You will be sad, but later you will be happy.

²¹ When a woman is about to give birth, she is in great pain. But after it is all over, she forgets the pain and is happy, because she has brought a child into the world. ²² You are now very sad. But later I will see you, and you will be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel. ²³ When that time comes, you won't have to ask me about anything. I tell you for certain the Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. ²⁴ You have not asked for anything in this way before, but now you must ask in my name.^[b] Then it will be given to you, so you will be completely happy.

²⁵ I have used examples to explain to you what I have been talking about. But the time will come when I will speak to you plainly about the Father and will no longer use examples like these. ²⁶ You will ask the Father in my name,^[c] and I won't have to ask him for you. ²⁷ God the Father loves you because you love me, and you believe I have come from him. ²⁸ I came from the Father into the world, but I am leaving the world and returning to the Father.

²⁹ The disciples said, “Now you are speaking plainly to us! You are not using examples. ³⁰ At last we know that you understand everything, and we don't have any more questions. Now we believe you truly have come from God.”

³¹ Jesus replied:

Do you really believe me? ³² The time will come and is already here when all of you will be scattered. Each of you will go back home and leave me by myself. But the Father will be with me, and I won't be alone. ³³ I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world.^[d]

Jesus Prays

17 After Jesus had finished speaking to his disciples, he looked up toward heaven and prayed:

Father, the time has come for you to bring glory to your Son, in order that he may bring glory to you. ² And you gave him power over all people, so he would give eternal life to everyone you give him. ^3 (B) Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. ⁴ I have brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you gave me to do. ⁵ Now, Father, give me back the glory I had with you before the world was created.

⁶ You have given me some followers from this world, and I have shown them what you are like. They were yours, but you gave them to me, and they have obeyed you. ⁷ They know that you gave me everything I have. ⁸ I told my followers what you told me, and they accepted it. They know I came from you, and they believe you are the one who sent me. ⁹ I am praying for them, but not for those who belong to this world.^[e] My followers belong to you, and I am praying for them. ¹⁰ All I have is yours, and all you have is mine, and they will bring glory to me.

¹¹ Holy Father, I am no longer in the world. I am coming to you, but my followers are still in the world. So keep them safe by the power of the name you have given me. Then they will be one with each other, just as you and I are one. ^12 (C) While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who had to be lost. This happened so that what the Scriptures say would come true.

¹³ I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. ¹⁴ I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don't belong to this world, just as I don't.

¹⁵ Father, I don't ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. ¹⁶ They don't belong to this world, and neither do I. ¹⁷ Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. ¹⁸ I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. ¹⁹ I have given myself completely for their sake, so they may belong completely to the truth.

²⁰ I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. ²¹ I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me.

²² I have honored my followers in the same way you honored me, in order that they may be one with each other, just as we are one. ²³ I am one with them, and you are one with me, so they may become completely one. Then this world's people will know that you sent me. They will know that you love my followers as much as you love me.

²⁴ Father, I want everyone you have given me to be with me, wherever I am. Then they will see the glory you have given me, because you loved me before the world was created. ²⁵ Good Father, the people of this world don't know you. But I know you, and my followers know that you sent me. ²⁶ I told them what you are like, and I will tell them even more. Then the love you have for me will become part of them, and I will be one with them.

Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested

(Matthew 26.47-56; Mark 14.43-50; Luke 22.47-53)

18 When Jesus had finished praying, he and his disciples crossed the Kidron Valley and went into a garden.^{[f] 2} Jesus had often met there with his disciples, and Judas knew where the place was.

^3-5 Judas had promised to betray Jesus. So he went to the garden with some Roman soldiers and temple police, who had been sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees. They carried torches, lanterns, and weapons. Jesus already knew everything that was going to happen, but he asked, “Who are you looking for?”

They answered, “We are looking for Jesus from Nazareth!”

Jesus told them, “I am Jesus!”^{[g] 6} At once they all backed away and fell to the ground.

⁷ Jesus again asked, “Who are you looking for?”

“We are looking for Jesus from Nazareth,” they answered.

⁸ This time Jesus replied, “I have already told you that I am Jesus. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go. ⁹ Then everything will happen, just as I said, ‘I did not lose anyone you gave me.’ ”

¹⁰ Simon Peter had brought along a sword. He pulled it out and struck at Malchus, the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. ^11 (D) Jesus told Peter, “Put your sword away. I must drink from the cup^[h] that the Father has given me.”

Jesus Is Brought to Annas

(Matthew 26.57,58; Mark 14.53,54; Luke 22.54)

¹² The Roman officer and his men, together with the temple police, arrested Jesus and tied him up. ¹³ They took him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. ^14 (E) This was the same Caiaphas who had told the Jewish leaders, “It is better if one person dies for the people.”

Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus

(Matthew 26.69,70; Mark 14.66-68; Luke 22.55-57)

¹⁵ Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. That disciple knew the high priest, and he followed Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest's house. ¹⁶ Peter stayed outside near the gate. But the other disciple came back out and spoke to the girl at the gate. She let Peter go in, ¹⁷ but asked him, “Aren't you one of that man's followers?”

“No, I am not!” Peter answered.

¹⁸ It was cold, and the servants and temple police had made a charcoal fire. They were warming themselves around it, when Peter went over and stood near the fire to warm himself.

Jesus Is Questioned by the High Priest

(Matthew 26.59-66; Mark 14.55-64; Luke 22.66-71)

¹⁹ The high priest questioned Jesus about his followers and his teaching. ²⁰ But Jesus told him, “I have spoken freely in front of everyone. And I have always taught in our synagogues and in the temple, where all of our people come together. I have not said anything in secret. ²¹ Why are you questioning me? Why don't you ask the people who heard me? They know what I have said.”

²² As soon as Jesus said this, one of the temple police hit him and said, “That's no way to talk to the high priest!”

²³ Jesus answered, “If I have done something wrong, say so. But if not, why did you hit me?” ²⁴ Jesus was still tied up, and Annas sent him to Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter Again Denies that He Knows Jesus

(Matthew 26.71-75; Mark 14.69-72; Luke 22.58-62)

²⁵ While Simon Peter was standing there warming himself, someone asked him, “Aren't you one of Jesus' followers?”

Again Peter denied it and said, “No, I am not!”

²⁶ One of the high priest's servants was there. He was a relative of the servant whose ear Peter had cut off, and he asked, “Didn't I see you in the garden with that man?”

²⁷ Once more Peter denied it, and right then a rooster crowed.

Jesus Is Tried by Pilate

(Matthew 27.1,2,11-14; Mark 15.1-5; Luke 23.1-5)

²⁸ It was early in the morning when Jesus was taken from Caiaphas to the building where the Roman governor stayed. But the crowd waited outside. Any of them who had gone inside would have become unclean and would not be allowed to eat the Passover meal.^[i]

²⁹ Pilate came out and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

^30 (F) They answered, “He is a criminal! That's why we brought him to you.”

³¹ Pilate told them, “Take him and judge him by your own laws.”

The crowd replied, “We are not allowed to put anyone to death.” ^32 (G) And so what Jesus said about his death^[j] would soon come true.

³³ Pilate then went back inside. He called Jesus over and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own or did someone tell you about me?”

³⁵ “You know I'm not a Jew!” Pilate said. “Your own people and the chief priests brought you to me. What have you done?”

³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom doesn't belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to our leaders. No, my kingdom doesn't belong to this world.”

³⁷ “So you are a king,” Pilate replied.

“You are saying that I am a king,” Jesus told him. “I was born into this world to tell about the truth. And everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice.”

³⁸ Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?”

Jesus Is Sentenced to Death

(Matthew 27.15-31; Mark 15.6-20; Luke 23.13-25)

Pilate went back out and said, “I don't find this man guilty of anything! ³⁹ And since I usually set a prisoner free for you at Passover, would you like for me to set free the king of the Jews?”

⁴⁰ They shouted, “No, not him! We want Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a terrorist.^[k]